Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Council Procedure topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Select committee rejects request to extend public comment sign‑up to 6:30 p.m., 7‑2
Summary
The Select Committee on the Comprehensive Plan voted down a motion to extend in‑person public comment registration for the interruptedsession for HB 11‑10 from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. The roll call vote was 2 in favor, 7 opposed.
Seattle — The Seattle City Council’s Select Committee on the Comprehensive Plan voted 7‑2 on May 20 to deny a motion that would have extended the sign‑up window for in‑person public comment on interim rules implementing state House Bill 11‑10.
The motion, introduced by Council member Rink, would have kept public registration open until 6:30 p.m. rather than the scheduled 5:30 p.m., a change proponents said would give more working Seattleites time to sign up.
Council member Rink said the extension was intended to allow “greater flexibility for those coming in to speak” because many working residents do not leave work until 5 p.m. “Cutting off sign up at 5:30 might impact those folks more,” Rink said.
Chair Joy Hollingsworth opposed the change, saying the committee had given “a reasonable amount of time” and that registration had been posted three weeks in advance. Hollingsworth said last‑minute changes would be unfair to members of the public who had followed the previously posted schedule and that staff had undertaken extensive logistics to prioritize those who had signed up at the earlier, weather‑disrupted February 5 hearing.
The clerk called the roll. The recorded votes were as follows: Council member Kettle — No; Council member Moore — No; Council President Nelson — No; Council member Rink — Yes; Council member Rivera — No; Council member Osaka — No; Council member Strauss — Yes; Vice Chair Solomon — No; Chair Joy Hollingsworth — No. The motion failed 2 in favor, 7 opposed.
Hollingsworth clarified immediately after the vote that the committee was voting only on the registration deadline; the chair confirmed that the public comment period itself would continue until all registered speakers were heard.
Context: The committee held a two‑part public hearing (remote in the morning and in‑person in the afternoon) to gather testimony on interim zoning changes required by HB 11‑10. The registration dispute occurred before the committee began calling registered speakers and entered a multi‑hour public comment period with more than 100 people listed to speak.
Outcome: The committee kept the originally posted registration close time of 5:30 p.m., and proceeded with the scheduled in‑person public comment list.
